August 2020
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Many of the problems with the 2020 Windows update are resolved in the latest patches. It is now safer to install – if patches are also installed. Support page.
Some users are still seeing problems with OneDrive after upgrading.
Driver search on the Internet removed from Device Manager in 2020 Windows update.
FBI issues warning over Windows 7 end-of-life
The FBI cited several powerful Windows 7 vulnerabilities that have been frequently weaponized over the past few years.
Purchasing Microsoft Office is not simple. They have renamed many of their products.
Office 365 is now Microsoft 365.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic $5/Month (formerly Office 365 Business Essentials)
Microsoft 365 Business Standard $12.50/Month (formerly Office 365 Business Premium)
Microsoft 365 Business Premium $20/Month (formerly Microsoft 365 Business)
Microsoft 365 Apps $8.25/Month (formerly Office 365 Business)
Microsoft 365 Family $100/Year. (formerly Office 365 Home)
Microsoft 365 Personal $70/Year. (formerly Office 365 Personal)
The new Galaxy note cell phones are coming out this month
Full announcement video from Samsung
Microsoft Teams’ new Together Mode is designed for pandemic-era meetings.
Participants appear to be all in the same place. It will be available initially with an auditorium view, but Microsoft is working on more views that will arrive in the future.
Gmail could be getting new collaboration features
You’ll be able to video chat while working on a doc inside Gmail.
Google class action suit to address Google+ bugs. If you had a Google+ account, you are eligible for the settlement. www.GooglePlusDataLitigation.com for more information.
Recover lost files on Windows 10
If you cannot locate a lost file from your backup, then you can use Windows File Recovery, which is a command line app available from the Microsoft Store.
https://www.microsoft.com/store/r/9N26S50LN705
Several social media giants are taking a hard line specifically on banning deepfake content — typically video or audio that’s manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning to intentionally deceive users.
Twitter labeled a video posted by President Trump as “manipulated media”.
Researchers Create Air Filter that Can Kill COVID-19
Researchers from the University of Houston, in collaboration with others, have designed a “catch and kill” air filter that can trap the virus responsible for COVID-19, killing it instantly.
This robot will give you a new haircut
The first US COVID-19 exposure notification apps could arrive within ‘weeks’.
Tech companies are doing well as people adapt to staying home more.
Amazon reports surge in revenue as pandemic sparks online retail boom
Facebook reports 11 percent revenue growth as usage surges amid pandemic
Apple posts blowout third quarter
Microsoft Earnings Soar in Difficult Times
“The last five months have made it clear that tech intensity is the key to business resilience,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a prepared statement. “Organizations that build their own digital capability will recover faster and emerge from this crisis stronger.
…the admission that Intel is prepared to outsource chip production is a massive hit to the reputation of a firm that ostensibly led this market for over 30 years.
“a stunning failure [that] could well represent the end of Intel’s computing dominance.”
U.S. economy plunges 32.9% decline in 2nd quarter, drawn-out recovery expected
Previously GDP had never shrunk by more than 10% on an annualized basis in any quarter since the government began keeping track shortly after World War Two.
Full GDP report (pdf)
NY and CA prosecutors are investigating Amazon’s treatment of third-party sellers.
The AAFA, an association that represents over 1,000 brands, including Adidas, Gap, and Target accused Amazon of creating a black market of counterfeit goods.
Almost 40 cents of every dollar spent online in the U.S. goes to Amazon, which has more of the online retail market than its nine closest competitors including Walmart Inc. and EBay Inc. combined, according to EMarketer.
Motorola acquires Pelco for $110M Pelco makes camera systems and is in Fresno.
ADT security customers in the Dallas area who were spied on seek damages
Turn on MFA Before Crooks Do It for You
Hackers who gain access to your account can lock you out with 2 factor authentication.
The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant rise in remote working have created optimal conditions for cyber criminals to conduct campaigns.
Business ID Theft Soars Amid COVID Closures
This is what hackers do:
- look up the business ownership records at the Secretary of State website.
- Identify the officers and owners of the company, acquire their Social Security and Tax ID numbers from the dark web and other sources online.
- Fabricate and/or modify a number of official documents tied to the business — including tax records and utility bills.
- File phony documents with the Secretary of State’s office in the name(s) of the business owners but include a mailing address that the thieves control. Create email addresses and domain names that mimic the names of the owners and the company to make future credit applications appear more legitimate, and submit the listings to business search websites, such as yellowpages.com.
- Register or hijack the Dun and Bradstreet listing.
- Apply for new lines of credit. Go shopping.
- File for economic relief, SBA loans, and unemployment credits.
Dun & Bradstreet offers a free version of credit monitoring called Credit Signal that lets business owners check their business credit scores and any inquiries made in the previous 14 days up to four times a year.
133m records for sale from data breach spree
Hackers are selling millions of MGM guest records on the dark web
By Tim Torian